The beginning of January not only signals the start of a new year, and scholastically speaking, the midway point for the high school basketball season. Contrary to popular belief, Beaver County is home to some of the best basketball in the area, year in and year out. This season is no different. The County has several boys’ and girls’ teams who should be making runs deep into the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs this year. Let’s take a look at what we can expect to see over the second half of the season.
WPIAL Girls Basketball
Class A
Out of the six schools in section 1-A, five are from our area, and four will be going dancing in February. Quigley, Cornell, Rochester, and Sewickley Academy are all near the top, with Aliquippa looking outside in.
I look for Quigley to eventually pull away, win the section, and win a couple playoff games behind the leadership of 6’1” senior guard/forward Gabrielle Smith. She is one of the elite players in the WPIAL. The Lady Spartans will need to tighten up defensively if they want to advance into the quarterfinals and beyond.
Class AA
In girls’ section 5-AA, the Freedom Bulldogs and South Side Rams sit in the middle of the section. It’s hard to project who will take the last playoff spot in that section. It could be one of those two teams, or it could be a team like Sto-Rox. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Carlynton are contending for the section 5 crown. OLSH already owns an impressive win over Ambridge in non-section play.
Section 1-AA consists of schools in the upper Beaver County and Lawrence County. Neshannock, Mohawk and Riverside are jockeying for first place, and will make up three of the four playoff spots. Shenango is in the driver’s seat for the fourth spot, but don’t count out Beaver Falls. New Brighton sits in last place in section 1.
Class AAA
The best girls’ teams in the county are, without a doubt, in section 2-AAA. Ambridge and Blackhawk will vie for the section championship. The Lady Cougars are coming off a state title, and after losing its core, are still highly competitive thanks to the return of guard Madison Amalia and super freshman Mady Aulbach. The Lady Cougars own an overtime win over Beaver. The Lady ‘Cats should lock down the third playoff spot behind the stellar guard play of Bella Posset and Sydney Barney.
After that, things get a little dicey. Central Valley has already suffered two big defeats to Beaver and Blackhawk in section play, but from a win-loss perspective are off to its best start in a few years. New Castle and Lincoln Park could also contend for the fourth and final playoff spot. Hopewell and Ellwood sit winless in the section.
WPIAL Boys Basketball
I’m far more well-versed on the boys’ side of things than I am the girls’. I see a ton of basketball every winter. If I’m being honest, I’ve been doing the scoring for Lincoln Park since its inception in 2007. But, I’m able to put my bias aside and write completely objectively. Say what you want about high school football, but there’s nothing like the WPIAL basketball playoffs. Packed gymnasiums, close games, pressure situations. You name it. Below is my forecast for the second half of the season.
Class A
The boys’ basketball landscape is a little different than the girls’ in class A. The number of class A schools in Beaver County continues to dwindle. Next year, when the PIAA moves to six classifications, that number might continue to shrink.
Anyhow, Quigley, Rochester, and Western Beaver sit in 5th, 6th, and 7th place respectively in section 1-A. At 4-4 overall as of this writing, Rochester has the best chance to clinch a playoff spot, but will have to fend off teams like Cornell and Eden Christian if they want to make the tournament.
Look for Sewickley Academy to win the section and lock down one of the top seeds in the Class A bracket come playoff time. Make no mistake – this is Monessen’s tournament to win. The Greyhounds will own the #1 overall seed, and be the favorite to win the title.
- Player of the Year Pick: Justin Pryor, Sewickley Academy
- Coach of the Year Pick: Win Palmer, Sewickley Academy
Class AA
Atop section 5-AA sit the defending WPIAL champs, Aliquippa. They’re geared up for another deep run in the WPIAL and PIAA tournaments thanks to a returning cast of some key players from last year, including Jassir Jordan, Kaezon Pugh, Sheldon Jeter, Chuck Humphries, and Steven Jordan. Aliquippa plays smothering defense, and are ranked #1 in the state.
They will be face some tough tests as section play winds down against the likes of Quaker Valley and Avonworth, and possibly OLSH. These four teams are most likely going to secure a playoff berth out of section 5. South Side and Freedom, along with Northgate and Sto-Rox, are on the outside.
- Player of the Year Pick: Chuck Humphries, Aliquippa
- Coach of the Year Pick: Mike Mastroianni, Quaker Valley
In section 1-AA, Lincoln Park has been on cruise control. They ran the table in the section last year, and may run it again this year. Lincoln Park’s three headed monster of Nelly Cummings, Nick Aloi, and freshman Anthony Johnson are all averaging more than 15 points per game.
Riverside – behind the Dambach brothers – should lock up the fourth and final playoff spot in the section behind Neshannock and Laurel. New Brighton should secure wins against Mohawk and Shenango, but another losing season looms ahead for the Lions. Their lone bright spot is R.J. Debo, a stellar three-sport athlete who carries the Lions night in and night out.
- Player of the Year Pick: Nelly Cummings, Lincoln Park
- Coach of the Year Pick: Mike Bariski, Lincoln Park
The Quips will ultimately end up as the #1 seed in the AA bracket, and an anticipated WPIAL final match-up against potential #2 seed Lincoln Park is what the fans want to see. Will it happen? Time will tell.
Class AAA
Section 2-AAA, also known as the “Parkway” conference of hoops, is starting to really heat up. Beaver Falls and New Castle are ranked two and three, respectively, in the WPIAL behind Mars. These two schools will undoubtedly be among the top four seeds in AAA. New Castle owns an impressive win over Lincoln Park, and Beaver Falls’ only blemish was a 19 point loss to AAAA juggernaut, Taylor Allderdice.
Ambridge should lock up third place in section 2, leaving a couple teams to battle for the fourth and final playoff spot. Blackhawk, Ellwood, and Central Valley are all jockeying for the fourth spot. Central Valley picked up two wins over Christmas against Vincentian and Upper St. Clair, a very good AAAA team.With that being said, my pick for the final playoff spot is Central Valley.
Rounding out section 2 is Beaver and Hopewell, both looking to find some consistency as they head into the season’s final weeks.
- Player of the Year Pick: Josh Creach, Beaver Falls
- Coach of the Year Pick: Ralph Blundo, New Castle
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